(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) >Following the devastating terror attack at IstanbulAtatürkAirport on June 28, the Embassy ofCanadahas changed the format of its reception forCanadaDay, scheduled to be held on July 1, while the Embassy of the United States has postponed its Independence Day Reception for the same reason.
In a note sent to invitees on June 30, the Embassy ofCanadasaid it wished to advise that theCanadaDay event will take place as previously scheduled on July 1, starting at 7 p.m.
“This year’s event will be dedicated to the victims of terrorism, including the victims of the recent attack in Istanbul,” the Embassy briefly noted.
TheHürriyet Daily Newshas learned that the embassy staff will be wearing black, while the open-air dance set and live music planned for the original reception in the embassy residence garden has been cancelled.
A banner bearing the hashtags #weareistanbul, #noussommesistanbul and #hepimizistanbuluz, as well as one showing a Turkish crescent and star in a poppy, originally designed by The Huffington Post, will be put up.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy announced that its official Independence Day Reception, planned for June 30 has been postponed to July 13, in solidarity with Turkey in light of the declaration of national mourning following the events in Istanbul on June 28.
“In light of the tragic events of last night, and as sign of our shared grief with the people of Turkey, I have instructed that our embassy’s commemoration of America’s independence, scheduled for tomorrow evening, be postponed until a later date,” U.S. Ambassador John Bass said in a statement posted on official Twitter account of the Embassy on June 29.
“As I said last night, we mourn with the families of those lost in this terrible tragedy. We pray for the speedy recovery of all those wounded. We reaffirm our commitment to the people of Turkey, our friend andNATOally, as we continue to confront the shared scourge of terrorism,” Bass added.
While harshly condemning the “hideous terror attack” on IstanbulAtaturkAirport, the Israeli Embassy inAnkaraalso flew its national flag at half-mast in tribute to the victims.